Americans Abroad: Goodson on the move; Holden shines at Bolton

Clarence Goodson is taking his talents to the western outskirts of Copenhagen.

After three years in Norway with IK Start, Goodson signed a three-year deal with Denmark-based Brondby IF last week, giving the 28-year-old center back a greater chance to experience elite European competition for the first time next summer.

Start finished midtable in the Norwegian Tippeligaen after wrapping up its 2010 campaign with a 3-3 draw with Haugesund over the weekend. Brondby, a traditional power in Denmark, currently sits in third place in the Danish Superliga as the team nears the midway point of its season. The top two finishers in the Superliga are entered into UEFA Champions League qualifying, and the third- and fourth-place teams clinch spots in the UEFA Europa League.

Goodson will have a little less than two months off before accompanying his new team after the Superliga transfer window opens in January. At that point, Brondby will be in its midseason break with a game against each of the 11 other Superliga teams remaining on its schedule.

The Virginia native has some other traveling to do before he officially joins his new teammates, though.

According to his soon-to-be-former club's website, Goodson will be part of Bob Bradley's roster for the U.S.' friendly against South Africa in Cape Town on Nov. 17. Goodson, who was on the U.S. ' World Cup roster but did not feature in the tournament, was also a part of the U.S.' three post-World Cup friendlies. He appeared as a substitute against Brazil, did not make it off the bench against Poland and started against Colombia.

Here's how Goodson and the rest of the Americans playing abroad fared over the past week (season statistics encompass all competitions):

Stuart Holden, M, Bolton -- Started, played 90 minutes in Bolton's 4-2 victory over Tottenham on Saturday. Holden also made a game-saving tackle in second-half stoppage time, preventing William Gallas from having a clean breakaway after a flicked-on header seemed to put the Tottenham player in on goal with Bolton nursing a 3-2 lead at the time. SEASON: 12 games, 11 starts

Eddie Johnson, F, Fulham -- In the 18, did not play in Fulham's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday. SEASON: 6 games, 1 start

Eric Lichaj, D, Aston Villa -- In the 18, did not play in Villa's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games, 3 starts

Jonathan Spector, D, West Ham -- Not in the 18 for West Ham's 2-2 draw with Birmingham on Saturday. SEASON: 2 games, 2 starts

Championship

Conor Doyle, F, Derby County -- In the 18, came on as a 90th-minute substitute in Derby County's 2-0 victory over Portsmouth on Saturday. SEASON: 7 games, 2 starts

Zak Whitbread, D, Norwich City -- Not in the 18 for Norwich City's 2-2 draw with Burnley on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

League One

Mike Grella, F, Carlisle United -- Started, played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 2-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday. Grella was not in the 18 for Carlisle's 6-0 victory over Tipton Town in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday. He wasn't permitted to play by parent club Leeds United in order to protect him from being cup-tied to Carlisle. The News & Star (UK) has reported that Carlisle manager Greg Abbott is hoping to extend Grella's current loan deal. SEASON: 6 games, 3 starts, 2 goals

Jemal Johnson, M, Milton Keynes Dons -- Started, played 69 minutes and scored a 50th-minute goal in Milton Keynes Dons' 3-2 victory over Yeovil Town on Tuesday. Johnson was in the 18 and came on as a 68th-minute substitute in Milton Keynes Dons' 0-0 draw with Stevenage in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday. The two sides will be forced to replay their first-round match next week to determine who advances. SEASON: 12 games, 4 starts, 1 goal

Anton Peterlin, M, Plymouth Argyle -- Not in the 18 for Plymouth Argyle's 3-1 victory over Bristol Rovers on Tuesday. Peterlin started and played 90 minutes in Plymouth Argyle's 4-0 loss to Swindon Town in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday. SEASON: 5 games, 4 starts

Frank Simek, D, Carlisle United -- Started, played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 2-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday. Simek also started and played 90 minutes in Carlisle's 6-0 victory over Tipton Town in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday. SEASON: 17 games, 17 starts

SPAIN

La Liga

Jozy Altidore, F, Villarreal -- Started, played 61 minutes in Villarreal's 1-0 loss to PAOK Salonika in their UEFA Europa League group stage match on Thursday. Altidore was in the 18 but did not play in Villarreal's 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 8 games, 5 starts, 1 goal

ITALY

Serie A

Oguchi Onyewu, D, AC Milan -- Not on the UEFA Champions League roster for Milan, which played Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw in their group stage match on Wednesday. Onyewu, who was rumored to be involved in an altercation with teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic during a training session during the week, was also not in the 18 for Milan's 3-2 victory over Bari in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 0 games

GERMANY

Bundesliga

DaMarcus Beasley, M, Hannover 96 -- In the 18, came on as a 57th-minute substitute in Hannover's 4-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. SEASON: 3 games

Ricardo Clark, M, Eintracht Frankfurt -- In the 18, did not play in Frankfurt's 3-1 victory over VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday. SEASON: 3 games

Jermaine Jones, M, FC Schalke 04 -- Not in the 18 for Schalke's 0-0 draw with Hapoel Tel Aviv in their UEFA Champions League group stage match on Tuesday. Jones returned from a two-game absence (ankle injury) and started, played 81 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Schalke's 3-0 victory over St. Pauli in league play on Friday. SEASON: 13 games, 12 starts, 1 goal

Carlos Bocanegra, D, St. Etienne -- Not in the 18 (due to injury) for St. Etienne's 2-1 loss to Lorient on Saturday. If the initial timetable for Bocanegra's return from injury is accurate, he should be back in the lineup next week. SEASON: 8 games, 8 starts

Charlie Davies, F, FC Sochaux -- Not in the 18 for Sochaux's 1-1 draw with AJ Auxerre on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

BELGIUM

Eerste Klasse

Sacha Kljestan, M, RSC Anderlecht -- Started, played 90 minutes in Anderlecht's 1-1 draw with AEK Athens in the UEFA Europa League group stage match on Thursday. Kljestan also started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Anderlecht's 2-2 draw with Club Brugge in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 11 games, 10 starts, 3 goals

Greg Garza, D, G.D. Estoril Praia -- Not in the 18 for Estoril's 2-0 victory over Desportivo Aves on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

Tony Taylor, F, G.D. Estoril Praia -- In the 18, came on as a 67th-minute substitute and picked up a yellow card in Estoril's 2-0 victory over Desportivo Aves on Saturday. SEASON: 10 games, 2 starts 3 goals

SCOTLAND

Premier League

Dominic Cervi, GK, Celtic FC -- Not in the 18 for Celtic's 9-0 victory over Aberdeen on Saturday. SEASON: 0 games

Maurice Edu, M, Rangers FC -- Started, played 84 minutes in Rangers' 3-0 loss to Valencia in their UEFA Champions League group stage match on Tuesday. Edu also started and played 90 minutes in Rangers' 3-1 victory over St. Mirren in league play on Sunday. SEASON: 16 games, 14 starts, 2 goals

GREECE

Super League

Freddy Adu, F, Aris Salonika -- Not on the UEFA Europa League roster for Aris, which dropped a 1-0 result to Bayer Leverkusen in their group stage match on Thursday. Adu was also not in the 18 for Aris' 1-1 draw with Larissa in league play on Monday. SEASON: 0 games

MEXICO

Primera Division

Edgar Castillo, D, San Luis -- In the 18, came on as an 89th-minute substitute in San Luis' 1-1 draw with Santos Laguna on Saturday. SEASON: 9 games, 1 goal

Herculez Gomez, F, Pachuca -- In the 18, came on as a 77th-minute substitute in Pachuca's 2-1 victory over Queretaro on Sunday. SEASON: 12 games, 1 goal

Alejandro Bedoya, M, Orebro SK -- Started, played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card in Orebro's 1-0 loss to Trelleborg in their season finale on Sunday. Orebro finished in third place, clinching a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifying round next summer. SEASON: 26 games, 26 starts, 2 goals

NORWAY

Tippeligaen

Mikkel Diskerud, M, Stabaek IF -- Started, played 90 minutes in Stabaek's 1-0 loss to Molde in their season finale on Sunday. Stabaek finished in 12th place out of 16 teams but secured a spot in Norway's top flight for next season. SEASON: 30 games, 29 starts, 4 goals

Hunter Freeman, D, IK Start -- Not in the 18 for Start's 3-3 draw with Haugesund in their season finale on Sunday. Start finished in eighth place in the league table. SEASON: 24 games, 24 starts, 1 goal

Clarence Goodson, D, IK Start -- Started, played 90 minutes in Start's 3-3 draw with Haugesund on Sunday. It was the last game with Start for Goodson, who signed a three-year deal with Denmark's Brøndby IF last week. He'll join his new team in January. SEASON: 26 games, 26 starts, 3 goals

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